Crossing Stars
by That One Eccedentesiast
Summary: "My grub," she answered, "I don't know what happened! I put him down just a bit ago for a nap and...then he just disappeared a little while later when I went to check on him!" It clicked then. "A dream bubble..." Rose mumbled.
1. ROSE

**_Crossing Stars_**

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Waking up in dank darkness with a headache that made her want to dip into some of her ecto-brothers coarse language, Rose Lalonde; sat up. Wherever she was, it definitely didn't belong to the meteor she'd been calling "home" for several years now. Feeling around, her hands touched rough rock, slimy rock and oh-_more rock_. sighing in aggravation, she wondered if this wasn't some sort of "prank" before casting that idea aside. Why anyone would go to the trouble of making a cave to dump her in was beyond her reasoning-not even Dave who so enjoyed his irony, would think to do something like this (besides, how was this in anyway shape or form ironic to anything they've gone through recently?).

Pushing herself up from the ground, her knees wobble and she cursed quietly when her head bumped into a cave wall. Taking a few tentative steps, she hesitated in deciding her course of action-chances are she'll get more lost, not un-lost (if there is such a thing in this case). Chewing at the inside of her cheek, she almost thought to yell out-see if anyone responded. That idea, she quickly squashed, what if there was some half-crazed troll waiting to murder her? She'd like to get out of here, not end up dead to be never seen again like in those juvenile ghost-stories._  
_

Just as she was going to make the decision of walking until she found an out or collapsed from exhaustion, a new factor made itself known. From the corner of her eye, she spied a faint light and when she realized it was coming in her direction, Rose fell back against the cave wall and crouched low. As the glow came closer, the quick tap of hurried feet began to echo off the walls around Rose; soon, she was close enough that the light cast against the oddly colored rock giving the blond a glimpse of the being's silhouette; it was tall-too tall to be a kid or teenager-and...they had _horns, _but not just any kind of horns, _Kanaya's _horns.

Frowning as this troll comes closer and closer, Rose realized she needed to make her decision. If this was Kanaya (but it _couldn't _be) she may be her only hope out of here-so as that body came by and she could see them holding what appeared to be a make-shift torch in front of Kanaya's but _not _face; the blond reached out and pulled on her skirt.

They whirled around, a wide smile eclipsing their mature-faintly lined-face. "Carmine!" The troll gasped, sounding pleased.

Rose actually felt bad as her so very green eyes looked to her. She wasn't this Carmine and she hoped that it wouldn't be the death of her. Clearing her throat, the girl said "Erm, I am not 'Carmine'."

The adult Kanaya's smile dropped. Bringing her torch so it was hot and flickering a mere inch from Rose's face, she crouched down and demanded, "Who are you? _What _are you?" Pressing with all her might against the stone so it may absorb her if it so wishes, the girl attempted to find a good answer to give the grown troll. Obviously finding something that the blond didn't even know she was _showing, _the troll put a hand on her knee. "You are young yet, aren't you? Do not worry, I will not hurt you unless you give me reason to."

Actually feeling marginally better, she let out a slow breath and muttered "That's...comforting."

The grown-Kanaya's lips flicker up for all of a moment before her eyes pierce her with solemnity. "Now, who _are _you?"

"Rose Lalonde," she answered, "One of the last surviving humans of planet Earth."

This made the troll cast her gaze away. "I've never heard of either such thing-then again, I've never seen someone like you either, so I shall believe you." Turning back, she smiled at her. "I am Dolorosa, how did you end up here child?"

Rose shrugged. "I don't know," she replied and then, she thought to question, "Who is this Carmine?"

Her mood wavered.

"My grub," she answered, "I don't know what happened! I put him down just a bit ago for a nap and...then he just disappeared a little while later when I went to check on him!"

It clicked then. "A dream bubble..." Rose mumbled.

"A what bubble?"

"A dream bubble," the girl repeated, "They happen sometimes, it takes you from where you are and transport you into someone else's world..."Looking again to the green eyes staring at her intently, Rose had to shake her head. "But it does not seem right to call it that either...usually-" she stopped. Dolorosa didn't need to know the people she usually meets in dream bubbles are dead.

The woman seemed even more upset by this information. "Are you saying my Carmine has been spirited away to who knows where?"

It was the blond's turn to comfort this grown-Kanaya, gripping her wrist, she told them troll. "He will be alright," she soothed, "He probably just got misplaced around here somewhere. I will help you look for him even. Just don't-" she closed her mouth. Leave me here. Don't ever let someone know that you're scared of something, they can use it against you; that's always been something she knew.

"You will," the woman stated.

The girl nodded. "Yes," she concurred. "I have nothing better to do," other than die in the obscurity of this dark cave, of course.

Her eyes narrow before she stood up, bringing Rose along with her. "Come along," she ordered, "Day break will be here soon."

Rose doesn't fully comprehended why it being day or night matters in a cave, but she figured that this adult Kanaya knew more about it than she ever would.

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	2. JOHN

**_Crossing Stars_**

* * *

Walking the block of a familiar street, John wasn't sure what to make of it. He's both completely freaked out and giddy. It looked as if it hadn't ever left! Like the game never happened...Nearly running down the block, he came to his house and went to the door fully intending to open the door and yell "I'm home! I'm _home _dad!" When a little voice called;

"Mister, what are you doing?"

Twisting around, John felt his stomach drop. The girl, she couldn't be more than eight or nine, but...but he _knew _her. Letting his hands drop to his side, he smiled widely at her and took a step closer. "I was just-you live here right?"

She nodded her head, scuffing her feet on the ground as the tire-swing wobbled beneath her. "Yeah I do!"

"With your dad?" He pressed.

She pouted. "Uh-huh..." Pulling herself up, she scrambles over the tire so she is standing precariously on the top with her arms wrapped around the rope. "How come you know that?" She demanded.

John doesn't have an answer right away. It's bad enough that he's _home, _but it's not _his _home any longer. Now to have his nanna interrogating him like he's some kind of creep might just be a bit too much. "I-I knew him a long time ago..." he whispered._  
_

The girl stared at him for a long moment before launching herself from the tire and running over to him. "Don't be sad!" She cried, wrapping her stubby kid-arms around him. "Dad'll be home real soon! Pinky-promise, okay?"

This made him pause, hand between her shoulder blades. "You're dad _isn't _home? Where _is _he?"

Pulling back a little, she puffed out her cheeks at him and brought her eyebrows together for a mean scowl. "At the store, duh! He's buying milk an' eggs an' bread an' stuff 'cause we're out!"

John didn't remember with absolute clarity, but he was pretty sure he still had to go with his dad when he left the house at her age. "And he left you home." He stated dubious.

She took herself away completely and put her hands on her hips as she boldly glared up at him. "I'm a big kid! I can take care of myself just fine!"

"I'm sure you can," the teen agreed distractedly.

"No!" She snapped, "I know not to go with strangers who have puppies in their car or candy they want to share at their house!"

"But-" he stopped; the rest of the sentence rattling through his head _you're talking to me, aren't I a stranger? _He doesn't want to set her off, he doesn't want to give his nanna reason to fear him or to scream and grab some neighbor or passerby's attention.

Suddenly the girl's giggling and John snapped his mouth close before frowning. When she continued to giggle, he asked; "What? What's so funny?"

"We have the same teeth!" She crowed, "They're both beaver-teeth!"

He chuckled a bit too before leaning down and whispered in an exaggerated conspiratorial tone "Maybe we're related!"

Nanna blinked, big eyes blinking hopefully behind her glasses. "I always wanted a big brother," she admitted.

And I always wanted to know my nanna. The teen kept that to himself, though, and stretched his smile. "Yeah? I could be your pretend-big brother, if you want;" he offered.

She cocked her head to the side. "How do play pretend-big brother?" She questioned.

"Well," John started, "First, I live under your bed;" because he had no money on him and needed a place to stay while he tried to figure out why he was here in the Alpha Kids' timeline. "Second, we play pranks on each other and eat a lot of junk food in your room when your dad isn't watching." It's the best plan he could come up with in such a spur of the moment situation and he didn't want dad to come around in the middle of a lengthy explanation he can figure out with more time.

Jane frowned. "Okay...but I'm going to have to clean out the underneath of my bed, first."

John nodded eagerly. "I'll help," he offered.

This made her smile as she took his hand and opened the front door. "C'mon! It's this way!" She shouted, tugging him along up familiar stairs as his eyes took in the minute differences of the home he grew up in. It sees their dad had a similar design plan no matter what timeline he lived in. Taking him to her room, John found himself taken back by the familiarity of the arrangement. He kept his room the same way.

Already on her knees throwing stuff out left and right from beneath her bed, Jane lifted her head towards him; curls falling in her face. "C'mon! I thought you said you'd help!"

Jolting into reality once more, John came over to her feet. "I am, I'll put this stuff where it belongs; how's that sound?"

The girl paused with a stuffed animal of some sort in her hands. "Most of it's just dirty clothes," she explained.

"That's okay, I don't mind the smell;" he teased as her face turned a soft red. "You're hamper's right over by your desk, right?" Or at least he assumed it was; he always kept his there.

Slowly, she bobbed her head. "Uh-huh," she muttered; "After we clean it out, can we play a board game together? Dad always lets me win when we play together," the girl begged hopefully.

John swallowed thickly and agreed; "Definitely, that's what pretend-brothers are for, right?"

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**Well look at that! I've finally put made another chapter. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, alright?**

**To reviewer, THATON3GUY; you rock :)**

**Thanks for reading and pretty please review!**


	3. DAVE

**_Crossing Stars_**

* * *

Sloshing through sand under the fading light of a pink and green moon, Dave kept his cape tightly wound around him. Unsurprisingly, Alternia deserts got cold just like Earth deserts. Hunching a little further as the rock cropping became more evident in the sun's early morning horizon, Dave hoped he got there before the sun was all the way up (trolls were crazy hardy, but even Terezi lost her sight to Alternia's sun upon looking at it; no way was Dave with his puny eyes going to attempt something like _that_).

By luck or maybe by speed, the blond teenager managed to trudge all the way there and with an exhausted grunt; he collapsed face first into the hunk of rock. It was too bad he wasn't short enough to squeeze in that big ol' crack there. He bet it was nice and cool-which'd be great when the sun was beating down on his back like a heat lamp on a day old pizza slice. Shifting as the day wore on, he cracked an eye open and nearly threw himself back at what glowed out at him from inside the rock's crevice.

"Shit!" He swore, staring at glowing yellow orbs. "Oh my god," he wheezed; "Don't kill me, I haven't convinced Maryam that my beats are the sickest thing in two universes yet."

There was a small sniffling sound from the hole. "You know mother?" A tiny voice warbled.

It sounded like a kid. Like a _little _kid. Dave sure as hell didn't know a thing about them, but he figured he should give an answer before the troll-kid decided to tear out his throat. Trolls were freaky vicious and he was willing to bet being all of six-years-old didn't change that. "Uh, maybe?" He answered. "What's her whole name?"

There was the scraping of claws and knees, the teenager tensed to run; but a moment later, a tiny, round _familiar _face popped out of the crevice to gaze down on him. "The grown-up trolls just call her that, but mother told me to call her Mother Dolorosa." He told him with the gravity only a kid his age can pull off.

Blinking back his shock, the boy desperately tried to regain thought. "Uh..." Dave fumbled. He could see wariness returning to the boy's eyes, knowing he had to think quick, he blurted. "We go _way _back, like prehistoric way back; with dinosaurs and shit."

"Whatta-saurs?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean; there names are insanely hard to say," The teenager covered up as he inched a little closer. "So kid," he started; "How'd you end up here?"

A disdainful pout comes to the boy's face and it's so much Like Karkat that Dave _knew _the little troll had to be him. "I don't like you," the small troll growled. "You say a lot of weird things."

"It's a talent."

Furrowing his little brow, the mini-Karkat nodded. "Like that," he said; "That's weird."

"Well sorry little-Karcrab, tell _me _how you'd react to a mini-Dave," The teenager snapped. Uneasy again, the small troll made to skitter back; however Dave grabbed his arm. "Wait, hold-up!"

"Lemme go!" The little Karkat screamed; a claw slashing at his hand.

Dave quickly retracted. Hissing at the sight of the wound. "Ouch man," he grumbled, only a little hurt (emotionally, anyway).

There was silence for a few minutes. Then, a very _very _tiny voice called; "Why's your blood so red? That's _strange."_

Lessons from the trolls coming back to him, the blond teenager remembered the stories about mutants and cullings. "Because all humans do," he answered.

Yellow eyes staring out at him, the little troll whispered; "Mine's the same color. That's why mother named me Carmine."

Dave hummed. Carmine. _Where in Alternia is Carmine Vantas (and Dave Strider)?_ It didn't have as nice a ring to it as _Where in the World is Carmine Sandiego?_, but he bet with a game of twenty-questions the two of them could figure it out. "That's cool," he complimented. "So, Carmine, where _are _we right now?"

He shook his head. "Dunno, was gonna wait 'til mother found me-or came back for me, I guess."

Welp. There went that plan. "Did you wake up there?" He prodded.

"Nu-huh," Carmine answered. "Was out in the desert-like you."

"Well then, did you spy any places someone like _me _could hide?"

There was silence for a little while. "Yeah, but it was a short walk away from here."

"I don't know how much longer me just lying here is going to work," Dave explained. "Either I go out there myself and die...then I won't be able to tell your Mother if I see her where you are and then _you'd _die and-"

"Don't leave me alone!" The boy begged, tiny hand coming out to grasp his shirt with inhuman strength. "Don't leave me!"

Prying the claws out of his clothes, the teenager nodded. "I won't," he asserted. "Does that mean you're going to show me where this hiding place is?"

"It's _really _close to the Jade-blood caverns, if they find me..."

"Look, if you stick with me, you won't have to worry about it;" Dave told him. Not that he knew for sure he'd be able to protect the mini-Karcrab. He'd definitely try, though.

His little face peered out again, eyes big and scared. "You _swear_?" He demanded.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," he replied.

A wrinkled, frustrated face was what he got in answer. "What does _that _mean?" Carmine grumbled.

"That I'm not lying," Dave sighed. Jeez, didn't trolls have _any _similar sayings? Messing with his hood, the blond decided it was good enough and looked once more to the crevice. "You comin' or what?"

"I am!" He piped up as he fell out of the shadows and in front of Dave. Bending down, the older boy fixed Carmine's hood around his tiny face and grabbed his hand. "Lead the way kid," he muttered vaguely waving his free hand out at the expanses.

The small troll's nose curled up and he could see that he wanted to say something, but surprise of all surprises, this little Karkat bit his lip with those doofus teeth and bobbed his head as he tugged them out into the Alternia's baking sun.

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**Hey there readers, I've figured out what this guy's update schedule is! I've come to the conclusion that this will be a fic that I update monthly (so...see you again about April 20th); maybe it's not the best plan, but it means I'm not abandoning it, right? Right.**

**To reviewer, TH4TON3GUY thanks so much! You're awesome :)**

**I don't know how much of an incentive this is, but I want to see five reviews by chapter four; so whoever that person is (if it happens) will win a one-shot of their choosing in any of the fandoms I have previously written (Homestuck, Harry Potter, Teen Wolf and Naruto). So please, review!**

**Thanks for reading and REVIEW :)**


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